Mourning in America
 
It's a little after 6AM and I am listening to the news on NPR and getting ready for the day. Lot's of news about "intelligence", which means spying. Strange use of language.
 
About 10,000 Iraquis have died in the past year and we are on a pace to lose about 1,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen by the next election. Of course this doesn't count the wounded. The military hospitals are full of amputees, the newly blind and those with severe internal wounds. This doesn't count those who have been severly wounded emotionally and mentally. Estimates are that 16% of those who have experienced killing on the battlefield are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which will have long term impacts not just on them, but their families, friends and communities. And we don't really do too well as a society with the mentally ill.
 
This all comes back to question of "intelligence." Or the lack of it. The war was, in truth, started on false pretences. The information was "stovepiped" so the boss got what he wanted.  We are no safer than we were before. Everyone seems to have ignored or forgotten the simple fact that the attacks in New York and Virginia were done by 19 religious fanatics with no significant state support and little more than razor blades. It was simple, cheap and, I'm sorry to say, even elegant. Cheaper and simpler than a smart bomb. The real weapon was not the razor blades, but the religious indoctrination and dammned certainty.
 
As a "western" intellectual I'm tempted to think that the ultimate weapon against such nonsense isn't war but doubt and uncertainty. Our spiritual father, the great Socrates, believed that he wasn't such a smart man. He believed in relentless questioning. He believed in doubt. More close to home are William James, John Dewey and Justice Holmes. Be doubtful. Question everything.
 
If we are going to "win" the conflict with terror we have to encourage reflection, questioning and deep thinking. We have to have compassion. We have to engage in debate. And so we are losing the "war on terror" as I write this.

Cool

Haven't blogged in awhile. Too busy. While the students and faculty are away we build, repair and improve. Three central air conditioning units were installed last week, and we also accepted delivery of 25 computer kiosks to be used to improve the lives of the students. We are also doing 19 or so short videos for distance learning. And over the weekend we will become the first college in New York to have an HDTV studio from camera to tape. A very cool thing.
Which brings me to the thought that to do something just because it is cool is a very bad thing, but if you can come up with a good reason to do something then cool can be a very powerful element in making it work. Cool motivates. It encourages. It helps you bring out your best. The danger of course is that it becomes the sole factor to do things and then you are headed to a train wreck. You have to fight the cool to use it. You can never, never, never let it take over.
Which reminds me that Elvis used to put the letters "TCB" on everything. Taking Care of Business. That's why he was The King of Rock and Roll... Maybe not. Besides. I prefer Elvis Costello. And the Attractions.
 
Back to Vassar tomorrow to pick up the computers.